Bill transferring assets of Orleans Levee District to new board sent to governor

BATON ROUGE -- Gov. Bobby Jindal will have to decide whether his office should keep control over non-flood assets of the Orleans Levee District or let them be turned over to a new board proposed by Sen. J.P. Morrell, D-New Orleans.

Sen. J.P. Morrell

On June 13, the Senate gave 36-1 final approval to Morrell's Senate Bill 804, which would transfer the operation of the former Orleans Levee Board's green space, marinas, shopping centers and other property from the governor's office to a separate authority.

The bill would not transfer the Lakefront Airport, also a non-flood asset. Morrell has a separate bill, pending in compromise committee for a vote today, that could turn the airport over to a separate authority.

The only vote against Morrell's Senate Bill 804 came from Sen. Willie Mount, D-Lake Charles.

Morrell's bill would create the Non-Flood Asset Management Authority and move the assets from the governor's office to the proposed authority, to be housed in the state Department of Transportation and Development starting Aug. 15, where it would remain until Jan. 1, 2012. After that, the authority would be a separate agency and would decide how the assets could be used, possibly leased or sold or turned over to the city of New Orleans.

The bill prohibits any elected official from serving on the authority but allows the Senate and House members who represent where the assets are located to name members.

It also authorizes one appointee to be named from each of the following agencies: the Department of Transportation and Development, the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority East, the mayor of New Orleans, the New Orleans City Council members who represent the areas where the assets are located, the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, and the City Park board in New Orleans.

Two members would also be named jointly from the presidents of the Lake Vista, Lakeshore, Lake Terrace and Lake Oaks property owner associations.

Morrell's bill also prohibits authority members from collecting the maximum $50-per-meeting pay.

But Morrell asked the Senate to reject changes made to his Senate Bill 772, the measure that would set up a separate authority to oversee Lakefront Airport.

Morrell said when his bill was in the House, amendments were added naming citizen representatives to the authority, but they did not come from the neighborhoods adjoining the airport.

Morrell said he will offer a change to the bill adding citizens from the areas most affected by the airport.

The proposed airport authority would be charged with hiring a firm to run the day-to-day operation of the airport and make a decision in its future.